4&. 


IC-NRLF 


GIFT   OF 


TRAINING  OF  FORCES  OF  BELLIGEPFNT  NATIONS 

OF  EUROPE 


PREPARED  BY  THE  WAR  COLLEGE  DIVISION,  GENERAL  STAFF  CORPS 

AS    A    SUPPLEMENT    TO    THE    STATEMENT    OF    A    PROPER   MILITARY 

POLICY  FOR  THE  UNITED  STATES 


WCD  9289-1 


ARMY  WAR  COLLEGE  :  WASHINGTON 

NOVEMBER,  1915 


534 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1918 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

Document  No.  534. 

Office  of  the  Chief  of  Staff . 


SYNOPSIS. 


Pago. 

1.  Information  desired 5 

2.  Nations  involved 5 

3.  Information  available  is  incomplete  and  indefinite 5 

4.  Training  in  countries  having  compulsory  service 6 

5.  British  Regular  Army 7 

6.  British  Territorial  Army  (established  in  1908) 8 

7.  British  "  New  Army  " 8 

8.  Training  extended  to  six  months 9 

9.  Additional  training  during  the  war 9 

10.  Additional  training,  German  troops 9 

11.  Additional  training,  French  troops 10 

12.  Additional  training,  Canadian  troops 11 

13.  British  cadet  school  in  the  field 11 

14.  British  machine-gun  school  in  the  field 12 

15.  Practical  experience  for  higher  unit  commanders 12 

16.  British  central  training  camp  at  Havre 12 

17.  Deductions 13 

18.  Application  to  situation  in  the  United  States 14 

)°— No.  534r-16  (3) 


6G7391 


TRAINING  OF  FORCES  OF  BELLIGERENT  NATIONS  OF 

EUROPE. 

1.  INFORMATION  DESIRED. 

In  a  memorandum  dated  November  15,  1915,  the  Chief  of  Staff 
directs  that  a  brochure  be  submitted  giving  the  following  informa- 
tion: 

The  amount  of  training  stated  in  terms  of  total  number  of  hours  given  in 
time  of  peace  for  each  arm  and  the  technical  troops  of  all  the  belligerent  nations 
of  Europe  involved  in  the  war,  stating  what  additional  training  has  been  given 
during  the  progress  of  the  war : 

(a)  To  troops  that  had  previously  been  trained;  (6)  to  troops  that  had 
received  no  previous  training. 

The  brochure  should  show,  in  case  of  the  latter,  the  period  of  training  ex- 
perience in  this  war  has  shown  to  be  necessary  to  obtain  satisfactory  results. 
Particular  attention  will  be  given  to  England's  attempted  solution  of  the  prob- 
lem of  training  volunteers  after  war  had  been  declared,  as  their  condition 
more  nearly  approximates  our  own  than  any  other  belligerent. 

2.  NATIONS  INVOLVED. 

The  belligerent  nations  of  Europe  thus  far  (December,  1915)  in- 
volved in  the  war  are: 
Austria-Hungary. 
Belgium. 
Bulgaria. 
France. 
Germany. 
Great  Britain. 
Italy. 

Montenegro. 
Russia. 
Servia. 
Turkey. 

3.  INFORMATION  AVAILABLE  IS  INCOMPLETE  AND  INDEFINITE. 

The  total  number  of  hours  of  training  prescribed  or  given  in 
peace  in  the  various  arms  of  the  armies  of  all  the  belligerent  nations 
now  at  war  is  not  a  matter  of  record  in  the  War  College  Division, 

(5) 

634 


6 

nor  is  such  information  available  without  correspondence.  Train- 
ing in  the  armies  of  the  above  countries,  except  that  of  Great  Britain, 
is  compulsory  and  is  prescribed  in  years  rather  than  hours.  Such 
countries  in  this  brochure  will  be  treated  separately  from  Great 
Britain.  In  some  it  is  possible  to  ascertain  the  customary  period  of 
training  each  day  during  the  six  months  devoted  as  a  rule  to  train- 
ing individuals  and  smaller  units.  The  daily  periods  devoted  to 
training  during  regimental,  brigade,  division,  and  grand  maneuvers 
varies  with  the  customs  of  each  country,  its  climate,  etc.  In  some 
reports  troops  of  a  certain  arm  are  said  to  drill  from  —  o'clock  to 
—  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  —  o'clock  to  —  o'clock  p.  m.,  but  such  reported 
periods  do  not  agree  for  the  same  arm  of  service  and  country  in  all 
reports,  and  it  seems  possible  that  they  are  not  uniform  for  all 
organizations  of  the  same  arm,  if,  indeed,  prescribed  at  all  from 
army  headquarters.  For  example,  the  military  attache,  Paris,  France, 
reporting  on  French  cavalry,  once  wrote: 

The  matter  of  drill  hours  is  left  largely  in  the  hands  of  subordinate  com- 
manding officers,  except,  of  course,  when  the  whole  regiment  drills  together  on 
days  and  at  hours  designated  by  the  colonel  commanding. 

Later,  an  officer  on  duty  with  a  French  cavalry  regiment  reported 
that  from  October  1  to  April  1  training  was  given  daily,  except 
Sundays  and  holidays,  from  6  to  10  a.  m.  and  12.15  to  5  p.  m.,  or 
8|  hours.  He  did  not  report  hours  employed  during  maneuvers  of 
regiments,  brigades,  etc.,  April- September  each  year. 

4.  TRAINING  IN  COUNTRIES   HAVING   COMPULSORY   SERVICE. 

The  following  table,  showing  number  of  years'  service  in  active 
army,  approximate  number  of  hours'  training  per  year  (assuming 
that  all  time  available  is  utilized)  for  various  arms  and  total  train- 
ing required  of  members  of  variously  termed  reserves,  is  as  close 
an  estimate  of  training  in  peace  as  can  be  made.  While  service  is 
compulsory  for  all  citizens,  within  certain  ages  and  subject  to  cer- 
tain exemptions,  it  is  known  that  some  enlisted  men  detailed  on 
various  duties  of  administration  are  excused  from  a  portion  or  all 
training  in  certain  countries.  The  approximate  training  represents 
that  received  by  soldiers  not  thus  detailed  and  excused: 

634 


Belligerent  nations  of  Europe. 

Years 
with 
active 
army. 

Hours 
per  day, 
except 
Sundays 
and 
holidays. 

Total 
hours 
active 
army. 

Reserve 
training. 

Aggre- 
gate 
hours. 

Austria-  Hungary  : 
Cavalry             .                                 .... 

3 
3 
2 
2 
2 

2 

1 
1 

1 

3 
3 
3 
2 
3 

3 
3 
3 
3 
3 

3 
3 
2 
2 
2 

2 
2 
2 
2 
2 

2 
2 

4 
4 
3 
3 
4 

2 
2 
li 

3 
3 
2 
3 

8 

8 
8 

(j) 
i) 
') 
') 

8 

S 

8* 

1 

*! 

8) 
8} 

9 
9 
9 
9 
9 

n 

G 

(» 
(l 

8? 
8? 

4 

4 
4 
4 

1 

0) 

M 

o 
i) 

7,200 
5,850 
3,900 
4,800 
4,800 

!i 
? 

8 

<;1 

0) 

7,650 
7,650 
7,650 
7,650 
7,650 

8,100 
8,100 
5,400 
5,400 
5,400 

0) 

$ 
M 

M 

1,200 
800 

4,800 
4,800 
3,600 
3,600 
3,600 

i 

c 

i 

0 

11  weeks.. 
...do  
14  weeks.. 
...do  
...do  

8  weeks... 
6  weeks... 
4  weeks... 
...do  
...do  

48  weeks.. 
...do  
...do  
54  weeks.. 
48  weeks.. 

7  weeks... 
...do  
...do  
...do  
..  do 

7 
6 
4 
5 
5 

£ 

0 

t 

! 

i 
i 

8 
8 

! 

5 
5 

(i 
(i 

(i 

s 

i 

728 
279 
446 
472 
472 

014 
014 
014 
014 
014 

532 
532 
832 
832 
832 

) 

300 
900 

i 
i 

Horse  artillery 

Other  artillery  .  .          

Infantry 

Engineers  

Belgium: 
Cavalry 

Field  artillery  

Other  artillery 

Infantry  

Engineers  

Bulgaria: 
Cavalry 

Field  artillery 

Other  artillery  

Infantry    

Engineers 

France: 
Cavalry 

Field  artillery  

Other  artillery 

Infantry 

Engineers  .  .  .    . 

Germany: 
Cavalry  

8  weeks... 
...do  
...do  
...do  
...do  

1 

330  days... 
...do  

Horse  artillery 

Other  artillery  

Infantry  

Engineers 

Italy: 
Cavalry 

Field  artillery 

Other  artillery      

Infantry 

Engineers          

Montenegro  (militia  system,  18  to  62  years  of  age): 
Artillery,  recruit  service  

Other  arrns  recruit  service             

Russia: 
Cavalry  and  Cossacks  

P 

1 

jj) 

C1) 

w 

P) 

8 

Horse  artillery 

Other  artillery  

Infantry    

Engineers 

Servia: 
Cavalry 

Artillery 

Infantry 

Turkey: 
Cavalry  

Artillery 

Infantry  

Engineers          

1  No  report. 

Hours  shown  above  represent  the  possible  aggregate,  not  the  aver- 
age duration,  of  training.  For  reasons  given  in  paragraph  3,  the 
total  hours  are  founded  partially  on  estimates  and,  while  approxi- 
mately correct  for  some  forces,  are  not  reliable  indices  of  training 
given  to  an  entire  army  of  any  nation. 

5.  BRITISH  REGULAR  ARMY. 

The  land  forces  of  the  United  Kingdom  consisted  (in  peace)  of  the 
regular  army  and  territorial  army.  Enlistment  in  each  is  still  volun- 
tary. Service  in  the  regular  army  was  for  12  years,  with  permission 

534 


8 


to  extend  to  21  years.  Of  the  original  12,  the  majority  of  men  served 
7  years  with  the  colors  and  5  in  the  army  reserve.  The  regular  army 
included  a  special  reserve  consisting  of  troops  not  permanently  em- 
bodied in  units  of  the  regular  army.  As  to  training  in  the  regular 
army — 

The  battalion  commander  is  responsible  that  the  company  commanders  are 
thoroughly  instructed,  and  he  supervises,  but  does  not  lay  down,  the  methods 
which  they  employ  to  train  their  companies.  The  company  commanders  as- 
sisted by  their  subalterns  and  noncommissioned  officers  are  directly  responsible 
for  the  efficiency  of  the  rank  and  file,  and  their  advancement  in  the  service  de- 
pends on  their  success.  Recruits  after  a  course  of  three  months'  training  at  a 
depot  should  be  sufficiently  trained  to  take  their  places  in  the  ranks  of  the 
company.  *  *  * 

No  record  is  found  of  total  hours'  training  prescribed  for  any 
branch  of  the  regular  army. 

6.  BRITISH  TERRITORIAL  ARMY  (ESTABLISHED  IN  1908). 

Service  in  the  territorial  army  was  for  four  years.  Such  men  re- 
ceived as  training  a  fortnight  in  camp  and  a  certain  number  of  drills 
per  year  and  a  musketry  course  according  to  branch  of  the  service. 


Anns  of  the  service. 

Schedule 
of  train- 
ing (pre- 
liminary 
hours). 

Terri- 
torial 
army 
(subse- 
quent 
annual 
hours). 

Total 
hours. 

Yeomanry  

40 

10 

50 

Artillery 

45 

20 

65 

Engineers 

40-45 

10-15 

50-60 

Signal  service  

45 

15 

60 

Infantry                     .  . 

40 

10 

50 

Service  corps 

28 

15 

43 

Medical  corps  

42 

10 

52 

In  addition:  Recruits'  course  of  musketry  (preliminary)  and  an- 
nual course  of  musketry,  and  from  8  to  15  days  of  annual  training 
in  camp  for  each  corps.  Six  hours  per  day  devoted  to  training  in 
camp. 

7.  BRITISH  "  NEW  ARMY." 

Between  August  and  November,  1914,  Parliament  authorized  an 
increase  of  the  army  of  2,000,000.  As  the  territorial  army  is  not 
obliged  to  serve  abroad,  this  force  is  called  the  "  new  army." 

In  September,  1914,  army  orders  prescribed  for  "  trained  sol- 
diers;" i.  e.,  those  who  had  qualified  in  a  recruit  course  of  musketry, 
the  course  being  fired  after  two  months'  service,  the  following 
training : 

534 


9 


Same  as  recruits'  fourth,  fifth,  and  eighth  weeks,  at  36  hours  each 
week  individual,  and  also  20  hours'  company  and  16  hours'  battalion 
training  during  first  month.  Later,  these  men  were  to  have  five 
weeks'  company,  two  weeks'  battalion,  and  two  weeks'  brigade  train- 
ing. In  addition,  a  lecture  (one  hour  7  to  8  p.  m.)  daily. 

Trained  soldiers  for  home  service  were  to  receive  the  same  train- 
ing, utilizing  18  weeks  instead  of  13  weeks. 

Recruits  for  service  abroad  were  to  have  prescribed  individual 
training  in  three  months,  and  those  for  home  service,  in  four 
months. 

8.  TRAINING  EXTENDED  TO  SIX  MONTHS. 

Army  orders  of  October,  1914,  prescribed  the  following  periods 
of  training  for  the  arms  of  service  shown: 


British  new  army. 

WeeVs  of 
reoruit 
training. 

Hours 
per 
week. 

Section, 
training. 

Com- 
pany or 
Ibattery 
training. 

Battalion 
or  brigade 
training. 

Division 
training. 

Total 
hours. 

Artillery 

6 

48 

7 

5 

2 

6 

1  248 

Engineers: 
Mounted  .   . 

13 

48 

2 

7 

4 

1  248 

Dismounted  

10 

48 

6 

6 

4 

1,248 

Infantry                     

10 

48 

5 

10 

1 

1  248 

In  addition  lectures  from  two  hours  weekly  to  one  hour  daily 
were  given  on  subjects  such  as  the  following : 

Discipline ;  organization  of  expeditionary  force ;  causes  and  history 
of  the  war ;  characteristics  of  hostile  and  allied  armies ;  special  duties 
of  the  arm  receiving  lectures;  sanitation  and  health;  the  German 
Army,  etc. 

9.  ADDITIONAL  TRAINING  DURING  THE  WAR. 

Due  to  lack  of  authority  for  representatives  of  the  United  States 
Army  to  remain  at  the  front  with  armies  of  belligerent  nations, 
reports  of  steps  taken  to  provide  additional  training  during  the  war 
are  few  and  incomplete. 

10.  ADDITIONAL  TRAINING,  GERMAN  TROOPS. 

A  camp  for  recruit  training  was  established  at  Beverloo,  Belgium, 
for  a  course  of  eight  weeks'  training,  especially  in  firing  and  combat 
exercises,  following  preliminary  training  at  home  stations.  Capacity 
of  camp,  2,500  animals,  25,000  men.  Similar  depots  for  increased 
training  in  essentials  of  the  character  of  warfare  experienced  were 
established  throughout  Germany,  the  course  at  each  being  eight 
weeks.  Men  were  trained  to  fire  from  trenches  and  trees,  practicing 
concealment.  They  were  trained  in  construction  of  types  of  trenches. 

634 


10 

Cavalry  of  the  German  Army  was  trained  to  endure  long  marches 
rather  than  to  charge,  and  to  accustom  horses  to  bivouac  in  the  open 
rather  than  rely  upon  stabling. 

Field  artillery  were  trained  in  construction  of  trenches  and  con- 
cealment from  aerial  observation. 

Aviators  were  taught  better  cooperation  with  field  artillery. 

Candidates  for  appointment  as  second  lieutenant  are  given  prac- 
tical training  at  the  recruit  depots  above  referred  to. 

11.  ADDITIONAL  TRAINING,  FRENCH  TROOPS. 

Independently  of  the  student  reserve  officers,  200  noncommissioned 
officers  of  the  active  army  were  given  special  courses  of  training, 
April  6-May  31,  1915,  at  St.  Cyr,  Maixent,  Joinville,  and  Fon- 
tainebleau,  to  qualify  for  appointment  as  second  lieutenants. 

It  is  impracticable  to  ascertain  how  much  training  during  the  war 
is  given  men  forwarded  from  regimental  depots  to  replace  casualties, 
but  most  if  not  all  such  received  training  in  former  years.  This 
number  is  very  large.  The  Seventy-ninth  and  One  hundred  and 
thirty-first  Infantry  to  June,  1915  (10  months  of  war),  each  received 
13,000  men  in  all  to  maintain  its  effective  strength  of  3,000. 

Imagine  the  result  if  such  proportion  of  untrained  volunteers  join 
an  American  regiment  in  war ! 

It  was  soon  developed  that  the  reconnoissance  service  of  cavalry 
was  badly  performed,  infantry  being  surprised,  as  no  warning  was 
received  from  cavalry  screen. 

The  marksmanship  of  infantry  was  poor,  too  little  ammunition 
being  allowed  for  instruction  of  recruits  (120  rounds  instead  of  200 
allowed  in  peace). 

In  September,  1915,  the  class,  due  in  October,  1916,  for  compulsory 
service,  assembled  at  depots  for  training. 

During  service  at  the  front  a  French  regiment  of  infantry  or  cav- 
alry in  the  first  line  spends  3  days  in  trenches,  3  days  in  canton- 
ment exposed  to  bombardment,  and  6  days  in  quiet  cantonment; 
then  12  days  in  the  second  line  (reserve).  Thus  it  has  3  days  on 
the  alert,  3  days  in  danger,  and  18  days  in  security.  Artillery,  less 
tried  by  fire,  are  continually  in  action  and  not  withdrawn  to  the  rear 
for  rest.  Rest  given  infantry  and  cavalry  is  moral  rather  than 
physical.  While  in  second  line  (12  days)  a  15-kilometer  march  is 
had  each  day,  and  company,  battalion,  or  regimental  maneuvers. 
Bayonet  fencing,  throwing  petards,  reversing  parapets  of  trenches, 
crawling,  running,  target  practice,  machine-gun  practice,  etc.,  utilize 
entire  period  in  second  line.  One  half  the  French  Army  drills  while 
the  other  half  guards  the  trenches. 

French  infantry  is  trained  to  organize  and  carry  out  the  assault  of 
three  lines  of  trenches  constructed  in  rear  of  their  positions  to 

534 


11 

resemble  the  German  trenches  in  their  front  and  on  terrain  similar 
to  that  in  their  front.  Men  are  trained  to  rush  100  kilometers  and 
lunge  at  figures  dressed  as  German  soldiers  in  the  trenches  used  for 
assault  training. 

12.  ADDITIONAL  TRAINING,  CANADIAN  TROOPS. 

Although  the  Canadian  contingent  had  had  some  training  before 
sailing,  the  first  expedition  (31,250  men)  was  sent  to  camp  at  Salis- 
bury Plain  for  six  months'  additional  training.  One  regiment 
(Princess  Patricia's)  was  given  only  two  months  in  England  and 
two  months  in  France  before  being  placed  in  the  trenches  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1915.  It  was  composed  largely  of  men  with  previous  service 
in  the  regular  army  or  South  Africa. 

Other  than  this  regiment  the  personnel  and  training  of  the  Cana- 
dians is  said  to  have  been  inferior  to  the  territorial  force. 

The  First  Canadian  Division  was  sent  to  France  after  four  and 
one-half  months'  training  at  Salisbury  Plain.  The  second  division 
was  not  sent  to  France  until  September,  1915.  These  two  divisions, 
with  authorized  strength  of  40,000  men,  have  met  heavy  casualties, 
and  as  selected  men  are  transferred  to  them  to  replace  losses,  it 
represents  the  strength  which  Canada  can  maintain  in  the  field  in 
view  of  preliminary  training  given  in  Canada  and  supplementary 
training  in  England  and  France  before  troops  with  no  previous 
training  can  be  safely  employed  at  the  front.  Such  strength  was 
not  reached  at  the  front  until  after  14  months'  of  war. 

13.  BRITISH  CADET  SCHOOL  IN  THE  FIELD. 

In  January,  1915,  to  replenish  the  corps  of  officers,  sadly  depleted 
since  August,  1914,  Field  Marshal  Sir  John  French,  commander  in 
chief  of  the  British  forces  in  the  field,  established  a  school  for  train- 
ing officers  at  Blendecques  near  St.  Omer,  France.  Cadets  are 
selected  from  enlisted  men  of  educational,  physical,  and  moral 
qualities,  who  have  been  tested  as  good  field  soldiers  in  actual  cam- 
paign. The  course,  which  lasts  one  month,  is  one  of  demonstration 
and  practice  coupled  with  a  minimum  of  theory.  Each  cadet  passes 
48  hours  in  the  trenches  and  visits  observation  posts  of  a  battery  or 
group  of  batteries,  submitting  report  of  his  tour.  Machine-gun 
tactics  is  an  important  subject  of  instruction.  Among  others  are 
range  finding,  siting  and  construction  of  trenches,  sapping,  sketch- 
ing, night  operations,  use  of  rifle  and  hand  grenades,  cooperation  of 
infantry,  artillery,  and  engineers,  etc.  The  capacity  is  105  cadets, 
that  number  being  graduated  each  month.  Graduates  have  been 
favorably  reported  by  divisional  and  corps  commanders.  The 
Artists'  Rifles  (twenty-eighth  battalion,  London  regiment)  was 
utilized  as  the  basis  for  this  training  corps  for  officers  in  the  field. 


12 

14.  BRITISH  MACHINE-GUN  SCHOOL  IN  THE  FIELD. 

A  school  for  training  the  increased  personnel  employed  with  ma- 
chine guns,  the  number  of  which  guns  with  field  units  was  doubled, 
was  established  at  Wisques,  near  St.  Omer,  France,  under  an  enthusi- 
astic musketry  officer.  THe  course,  which  lasts  two  weeks,  consists 
of  improvising  positions  and  gun  shelter,  oblique  or  enfilade  fire, 
firing  from  behind  houses  through  openings  in  walls,  or  from  within 
houses  and  cellars  through  openings  in  the  roofs,  firing  from  armored 
motor  cars  and  aeroplanes,  etc. 

15.  PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE  FOR  HIGHER  UNIT  COMMANDERS. 

It  is  reported  that  regimental  and  battalion  commanders  of  the  ex- 
peditionary forces  still  training  in  Great  Britain  were  sent  to  France 
in  relays  for  a  week's  experience  and  training  at  the  front,  that 
on  returning  they  might  make  the  training  of  their  proper  com- 
mands more  practical  and  appropriate  to  the  service  anticipated 
when  such  commands  reach  the  front. 

16.  BRITISH  CENTRAL  TRAINING  CAMP  AT  HAVRE. 

In  the  summer  of  1915  a  camp  was  established  near  the  base  at 
Havre  for  the  supplementary  training  of  men  arriving  from  Eng- 
land and  considered  deficient  in  the  essentials  of  infantry  training. 
All  men  passing  the  camp  were  subjected  to  "tests,"  and  not  per- 
mitted to  go  to  the  front  until  found  proficient  by  the  commandant, 
Maj.  H.  F.  Whinney,  Royal  Fusiliers.  Instructors  are  experienced 
officers  and  noncommissioned  officers  recently  returned  from  active 
service  in  the  trenches,  some  of  them  recuperating  from  wounds  or 
sickness.  In  addition  a  very  good  officer  is  selected  from  each 
division  at  the  front  and  detailed  for  a  tour  of  two  months  as  in- 
structor. This  maintains  instruction  in  pace  with  the  evolution  of 
the  peculiar  conditions  of  warfare  which  characterize  the  struggle 
in  France.  The  course  includes  musketry,  entrenching,  first  aid, 
pack-saddlery,  bayonet  fencing,  bombing,  revetting,  construction  of 
obstacles,  particularly  barbed-wire  entanglements,  machine-gun  prac- 
tice, the  disabling  of  guns,  and  conduct  of  artillery  fire.  Lectures 
and  practical  instruction  are  given  groups  of  officers  and  men,  at 
times  to  as  many  as  300  in  a  group  or  class.  All  are  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  their  lives  may  depend  upon  following  the  advice 
given.  Subjects  are  so  practical,  and  the  necessity  for  knowledge 
is  so  vital,  the  hour  so  solemn,  and  lecturers  men  who  have  learned 
by  wounds  and  bitter  experience  in  action  what  to  avoid,  that  there 
is  no  lack  of  interest  or  attention.  In  musketry  targets  represent 
German  helmets  barely  visible  over  a  parapet,  bobbing  up  over  a 

534 


13 

front  of  several  hundred  yards.  Men  are  taught  the  character  of 
trees  and  houses  in  the  landscape,  so  as  readily  to  recognize  aiming 
points  and  division  lines  between  sectors.  They  are  taught  the  dis- 
tinction between  cover  from  view  and  cover  from  fire.  Trenches 
of  patterns  found  best  at  the  front  are  built,  faced  by  trenches 
similar  to  those  used  by  the  Germans.  Men  under  instruction 
occupy  these  trenches  24  hours  to  test  their  knowledge  of  what  they 
have  been  taught  in  lectures.  Men  are  taught  to  throw  dummy 
bombs  from  a  narrow  fire  trench  into  trenches  in  front  and  to 
advance  in  specified  formations  of  small  groups  or  squads,  clearing 
"  pockets  "  between  traverses  of  any  hostile  occupants  by  "  lobbing  " 
bombs  into  such  pockets.  They  are  taught  to  hurl  live  bombs  and 
shown  how  to  avoid  accidents,  relieving  men  in  fire  trenches,  form- 
ations for  assault,  bringing  up  supports,  attacking  "  hostile  "  trenches 
occupied  by  dummy  "Germans"  which  must  be  bayoneted  or 
bombed,  use  of  respirators  to  avoid  effects  of  gas,  positions  taken  in 
trenches  when  aeroplanes  are  sighted,  use  of  trench  sprayers  to  nega- 
tive effects  of  gas  that  has  been  thrown  by  "  Germans,"  are  inter- 
esting and  practical  exercises  undertaken.  They  represent  the  last 
word  in  practical  infantry  training  for  the  character  of  warfare 
peculiar  to  the  situation  in  northeastern  France. 

17.  DEDUCTIONS. 

(a)  The  time  devoted  in  peace  to  training  in  all  other  countries 
exceeds  that  given  all  British  forces,  excepting  possibly  the  British 
Regular  Army,  which  constituted  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the 
only  British  force  fit  for  service  on  the  Continent,  and  compared 
with  strength  of  the  new  army  was  very  small.  It  included  many 
men  of  several  years'  training,  reenlisted  and  professional  soldiers, 
and  its  service  in  August  and  September,  1914,  demonstrated  the 
value  of  troops  thoroughly  trained  and  habituated  to  discipline. 
But  its  casualties,  fighting  against  odds,  were  very  heavy. 

(&)  All  other  British  troops,  excepting  possibly  those  from  Aus- 
tralia, required  from  six  to  nine  months'  training  after  organization, 
regardless  of  previous  training,  before  they  were  considered  fit  for 
service  at  the  front.  No  reports  have  been  received  to  indicate 
whether  Australian  troops  required  more  training  than  had  been 
received  under  the  compulsory  training  required  by  the  defense  act. 
It  is  probable  that  such  additional  training  was  necessary  and  was 
given  in  camps  in  Egypt  before  such  troops  were  sent  to  the  Dar- 
danelles in  the  spring  of  1915. 

(c)  Casualties  in  the  ranks  of  units  from  countries  having  com- 
pulsory training  were  replaced  by  men  of  reserve  forces,  variously 
designated,  who  had  had  training  in  peace.  Casualties  in  British 

534 


14 

and  Canadian  units  had  to  be  replaced  by  men  with  no  training  in 
peace,  and  the  preparation  of  such  men  required  at  least  six  months' 
intensive  training  in  Great  Britain,  after  which  many  were  found 
unfit  and  were  given  supplementary  training  in  France  before  join- 
ing units  at  the  front. 

(d)  The  proportion  of  the  British  regular  and  territorial  forces 
to  the  population  of  Great  Britain  and  Canada  being  greater  than 
that  of  the  Regular  Army  and  Organized  Militia  of  the  United 
States  to  the  population  of  the  United  States,  a  greater  percentage 
of  British  citizens  than  of  United  States  citizens  had  received  some 
military  training  before  the  war  commenced,  and  the  amount  of 
such  training  in  the  territorial  forces  was  greater  than  in  the  Organ- 
ized Militia  of  the  United  States. 

18.  APPLICATION  TO  SITUATION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

(a)  If  imminence  of  war  should  warrant  mobilization   of  the 
United  States  land  forces,  it  is  obvious  that  only  the  Regular  Army 
and  such  of  the  Army  reserve  as  have  very  recently  served  in  the 
Regular  Army  can  be  considered  ready  at  once  for  active  field  serv- 
ice against  a  force  from  any  country  now  at  war,  including  the 
British  New  Army  thus  far  sent  to  the  Continent. 

(b)  The  United  States  has  now  no  adequate  method  of  supply- 
ing properly  trained  men  to  replace  casualties  in  the  ranks  of  the 
Regular  Army  or  to  compose  the  ranks  of  the  large  number  of 
combatant  units  required  in  addition  to  the  existing  mobile  regular 
troops  to  resist  invasion. 

(c)  The  experience  of  the  British  with  the  new  army  confirms 
the  estimate  in  paragraph  42  of  A  Statement  of  a  Proper  Military 
Policy  (W  C  D  9053-90)  that— 

Twelve  months'  intensive  training  is  the  minimum  that  will  prepare  troops 
for  war  service.  Therefore  the  500,000  partly  trained  troops  above  referred  to 
require  nine  months'  military  training  before  war  begins. 

(d)  Conditions  of  modern  war  do  not  afford  time  to  train  an 
army  after  war  becomes  imminent.     Not  only  must  material  be 
secured,  but  personnel  must  be  trained  before  military  operations 
can  be  undertaken  with  any  hope  of  success. 

634 

o 


INITIAL 


OF  25  CENTS 


THIS   B^K^E™%oACENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
OVERDUE. 

~a  v 


PAT.  IAN.  21,  1908 


YC  6286 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


CDM713SDS3 


667301 

u 


• 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


